My good friend Beantown Bob is coming to visit. Many of y’all don’t know this….but when i first moved to Tennessee, one of the first things i did was organize a fundraiser for MoveOn, and i booked my favorite band, (DADA) at 3rd & Lindlsey and got shunned by Music Row Democrats for not booking “local talent.” i had no idea who was local talent. Now, in my defense, I’m not a huge country music fan. I like drums, and bass, and it is my opinion that bands should let their individual components shine instead of just augment the lead singer. I like rock n roll for that reason. Aunt B makes fun of my love for Rush…but pick a song, and tell me that Alex lifeson doesn’t get your attention with his riffs, and that Neil Peart doesn;t blow your mind with his ridiculous tempo changes, and that Geddy’s bass doesn’t make him sound ten fucking feet tall.

Whew. Sorry for digressing. So, I consider Robert Ellis Orral a friend. (ok, not a “oh look! Bobs at the door!” kinda friend, but he takes my calls and has played some Democratic fundraisers for me, and he gave my kids some CDs.) Gretchen Peterson played the MoveOn gig as well, and my point is that they are definately “local talent.”

I guess I’m still a little pissed. (I should note, that neither Sharon Cobb or Southern Beale ever shunned me..in fact, they have both been very supportive). Ok, back to Bob. I really love Bob. Between us, we managed to convince Democrats from 9 different States to volunteer to come here and help with the event. So, yea, Bob is way cool. The event was fun, and we made a little money for a deserving Not For Profit.

All of this disjointed background is my way of setting up Teh Big Story. (Is that passe now?)

I’M GOING TO THE GRAND OLE OPRY!!! Bob’s connects scored us passes!

So, I know enough about the Country Scene to get good and drunk, but after that…I’m completely lost. I called Aunt B, and she seems to think I should honor Jimmy Martin and beat the shit out of Ricky Skaggs. No sweat, if he is in fact there that evening. Also, Aunt B is aware of the fact that I am a better than average clogger, and thinks I should use Saturday night as a showcase for my mad clogging skills. Easy Peesy, Japaneesy.

What i really wanted to do was meet Minnie Pearl, but I am sorry to break this to y’all, but it seems she has recently passed. Pity. I really liked her.

The other thing i am dissapointed about is that, lo and behold, it turns out Carol Burnett was never part of the Grand Old opry, and that is just wrong.

Anyway, i’ll be content to be surprised. But I don’t know what one wears to a Cracker Fest. Do I run by Hicks R Us and pick up a sequined sombrero? Do I attach spurs to my sneakers? Help me, oh lovers of The Opry! I have just days to prepare.

I want it noted that i am actually excited by the idea of listening to music without drums.

Finished work, caught a little Hardball with Chris Matthews. Boy, am I glad I did. Some P.A. booked Kevin James, an L.A. Lawyer/radio host who tried to compare Obama toNeville Chamberlain. Matthews spent roughly 5 minutes trying to get this moron to tell him what it was that Chamberlain actually did. Poor guy stuttered, spat, diverted, and obfuscated around the point until FINALLY, he admitted that he had no clue what he was talking about. You know, I get a kick out of reading what Bill Hobbs has to say (of course, I love train wrecks) but Hobbs ought to be glad that Kevin James exists, if, for no other reason, than to make him seem like a deep thinker.

Damn, somebody with better internet skills PLEASE post a YouTube of that ass-kicking. I’ll be laughing the rest of the night.

Hopelessly behind schedule out here on the farm, thanks, in part, to this ridiculous weather pattern. That said, I feel compelled to chime in on a few totally random issues:

A handful of local bloggers expressed their shock and revulsion to the practice of drugging immigrant detainees prior to removing them from this country. This is the kind of thing that happens when too many voices remain still while xenophobes and Nativists repeatedly portrayed these people as “less than” us. There will be more horrors, there will be more indifference.

It appears Christian from NiT compiled a list of divisive phrases that a couple of local bloggers employed while voicing support for their candidates. I’ll be honest, I stopped reading Egalia long ago. I’ve met her, and found her to be smart and confident, but I feel that her approach to this process has been myopic at best, and downright dangerous at its worst. There is no other other word I can use to describe her relentless attempts to paint Obama as a wife-beater except shrill. Christian’s decision to shine a light on her blog was spot on.

One of the things I like about Sean is that he has well thought-out opinions on all forms of politics, local, State-wide, and National. Yes, he really dislikes Clinton, and, like Egalia, I feel that he set himself up to be marginalized had his candidate not won. (or, soon will win) But the level vitriol isn’t close to the same. Personally, I wouldn’t use some of the language he uses to describe a fellow Democrat, (especially one as committed and hard-working as Hillary) but thats his call. At the risk of sounding condescending…he is young.

I read this when I got up this morning. I ain’t buyin. Even if it is entirely accurate, I don’t care. My bitch with the the Big Three is that instead of embracing the idea that a few skinny years following a massive re-tool would be followed by a unique position in the market, they instead opted to buy our elected leaders so that they could push their products on a gullible American public. They have been aware of this change in the market for at least a decade, and probably longer. By now, they could be producing a car that meets today’s needs, without the insane practice of rebates and corporate underwritten financial bribes. (zero percent interest! Buy our trucks!)

Man. It truly seems like a week ago I was lamenting here about the annual T.A.P. Conference, which Aunt B and i attended together. Turns out, its been a year, and Nell and her crew are fixin to do it all again. I was very happy to see her come on the thread and offer a rebuttal in the comments. I was a bit harsh, and she made some great points. Still, i wish they would “discover” how effective an active blog could be for their organization. That said, I have always thought the idea of a mass meeting of Progressives, Liberals and assorted Lefties was a good one. Perhaps now more than ever it is crucial for like minded people and organizations to network.

For those of us concerned about the steady erosion of our rights as citizens, and, equally important, the outright denial of basic human rights to people around the planet, the next several months are of critical importance. There is much at stake in the next election. The people who attend the T.A.P. Conference year in and year out are committed, engaged, and knowledgeable.

The Tennessee Alliance For Progress always offers a stellar keynote speaker, and i have seen more than a few outstanding documentaries in years past.

One of the concerns i have about the immediate future of volunteer organizations is, from reports i get from friends, contributions are down. Way down. This makes sense to me, after all, people in almost every tax bracket are stretched pretty thin Even large corporate donors are cutting back in this economy. Ok, so, (here comes my call for collectivism again) shouldn’t these organizations be looking for ways to share ideas, and talent? Maybe one has a kick ass office infrastructure, maybe another has I.T. savvy volunteers to offer. Perhaps there is some wisdom in the idea of motor pools. Shared office space. In fact, I’m pretty sure we had a workshop devoted to ideas like this 2 years back. Always ahead of our time, it seems. 😉

Anyway, if you care about one or more issues of the day, you would be well served to attend the conference this year. If your funds are sketchy, or, you are a student, they offer scholarships to attend for little or no money. Don’t let money be an obstacle for you. Take a friend or two, and carpool.

NOTE TO STATE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES: Go there. Make your case. Meet potential volunteers or contributors. Bring buttons and bumper stickers. This is like shooting fish in a barrel. You can bet Chris Lugo will be there.